Stand-off at the Fords of Arkaig
Encyclopedia
The Stand-off at the Ford of Arkaig occurred in September 1665 at Achnacarry
, about 10 miles (16.1 km) northeast of Fort William, Scotland
. The Chattan Confederation
led by the Clan Mackintosh
assembled an army to challenge Clan Cameron
in a 360 year-old dispute over the lands around Loch Arkaig
. After a week of stalemate, the long-running feud was ended by a deal in which the Camerons bought the land from the Mackintoshes.
, uniting the two clans in the Chattan Confederation. Angus and Eva lived in Glen Loy for a few years before Angus had to flee from the Lord of Islay
, into exile in Badenoch
. The Camerons then occupied the lands, provoking about 360 years of feuding over the area. The clans fought their first battle, the Battle of Drumlui
, in either 1330 or 1337. William Mackintosh, the son of Angus and Eva, had his right to the lands confirmed by charters from John of Islay, Lord of the Isles
in 1337 and from King David II
in February 1359. These charters and the marriage formed the basis of the Mackintosh claim on the lands, even though they were occupied by the Camerons for many years.
was at Court pushing his claims to Ardnamurchan
and the area around Loch Sunnart on the West Coast. In a letter dated 7 June 1661 the Lord Chancellor of Scotland, Lord Glencairn, wrote from London to the "Lord President and Lords of Session" in Edinburgh telling them to freeze Mackintosh's action until they heard again from the King
, as he had a scheme to resolve the problem and reward Cameron for his loyalty (Glencairn and Cameron had played large parts in the Royalist rising of 1651 to 1654). No more was heard from the Court, so in July 1662 Mackintosh obtained a Decree of Removal against the Camerons in the area. Cameron sought an audience with the King, pointing out that the Camerons would not leave their ancient lands peacably. The King was unwilling to interfere directly in the affairs of Parliament, so a letter was written on his behalf to the Earl of Middleton
, another veteran of the uprising and now Lord High Commissioner
to the Scottish parliament. This letter, dated 30 May 1662, urged Middleton to find a peaceful resolution. Meanwhile a warrant had been issued for Cameron's arrest, but he persuaded the Privy Council
to defer it for a few weeks, allowing him to return home to Lochaber
.
Later that summer Mackintosh petitioned for a Commission of fire and sword against Cameron, unsuccessfully at first but in 1663 he had the whole of Clan Cameron declared outlaws. The commission against Cameron authorised various noblemen to implement it, but when approached by Mackintosh, they all told him to accept the financial compensation that had already been offered to him by Cameron. So Mackintosh decided to take matters into his own hands and having failed to induce his neighbours to join him, resorted to bribery to get them on his side. Meanwhile in January 1665, the Duke of Rothes
, Lord Chancellor of Scotland
, ordered the Commission of Fire and Sword into abeyance until the Privy Council had decided what to do.
Both Cameron and Mackintosh appeared before the Privy Council and agreed to be bound by its decision. Initially the Council told them to agree a sum of compensation between themselves, but when this proved impossible, the Council ordered Cameron to pay Mackintosh 72,000 merks (about £3600 in English money of the time). Mackintosh tried to leave Edinburgh in secret, but was arrested and bound to keep the peace. However as soon as he got home, he called on the Chattan Confederation to launch an expedition into Lochaber. Some of his friends tried to dissuade him, but Mackintosh ignored them and led 1500 men to the south end of Loch Lochy. Cameron assembled a force from his own clan joined by MacGregor men, a clan that had served Glencairn in 1653-4, and a small party of MacIans of Glencoe
. They numbered 300 bowmen, plus 900 men armed with guns, broadswords and targe
shields. They then marched for Cameron's home at Achnacarry
, which is in a strategic position on the south bank of the River Arkaig, on the isthmus
between Loch Arkaig
and Loch Lochy
.
Meanwhile, the Earl of Argyll
had sent 300 Campbells under John Campbell
of Glen Orchy
, later Earl of Breadalbane, with orders to end the dispute with force if necessary. He started negotiations with Mackintosh, who retreated east a little, setting camp opposite the island of Eilean Loch Airceig, but no agreement was found that day. On the 19th, a settlement was agreed by friends of the two parties, but Mackintosh refused to accept the terms, even when his men refused to fight for him. Mackintosh and his army marched back to Clunes. On the morning of the third day, he agreed to a deal in which he sold the land to the Camerons for 72,500 merks, and his friends paid the extra money he wanted themselves.
Meanwhile Campbell had encountered a party of men under Cameron of Erracht, whom Cameron had sent across the loch by boat the night before. Cameron had started on a 18 miles (29 km) march with the rest of his men to the western end of Loch Arkaig and back down the north bank, to surprise the Mackintosh army from the west. En route Cameron met Campbell, who told him of Mackintosh's agreement. Cameron wanted to continue his march until Campbell threatened to join his men with the Mackintosh army and set all the forces of the Earl of Argyll against the Camerons.
.
Tradition had it that in more than three centuries, "a Mackintosh and a Cameron had never even spoken together", which of course ignored alliances such as that at the Battle of Inverlochy (1431)
. The Camerons considered it something of a Pyrrhic victory
, as the pursuit of their claim to Arkaig and Glen Loy over the years had cost them lands worth four times as much. Cameron had problems raising the money, and was offered a loan by the Earl of Atholl
in an attempt to curb the power of Argyll, but Argyll offered a similar loan at lower interest. However there were strings attached, Cameron had to pay £100 Scots in feu-duty and to acknowledge Argyll as superior of the lands. The Camerons were still paying rent to Argyll's factor in 1749.
Achnacarry
Achnacarry is a small hamlet, private estate, and a castle in the Lochaber region of Highland, Scotland. It occupies a strategic position on an isthmus between Loch Lochy to the east, and Loch Arkaig to the west....
, about 10 miles (16.1 km) northeast of Fort William, Scotland
Fort William, Scotland
Fort William is the second largest settlement in the highlands of Scotland and the largest town: only the city of Inverness is larger.Fort William is a major tourist centre with Glen Coe just to the south, Aonach Mòr to the north and Glenfinnan to the west, on the Road to the Isles...
. The Chattan Confederation
Chattan Confederation
Clan Chattan or the Chattan Confederation is a confederation of 16 Scottish clans who joined for mutual defence or blood bonds. Its leader was the chief of Clan Mackintosh.-Origins:The origin of the name Chattan is disputed...
led by the Clan Mackintosh
Clan MacKintosh
Clan Mackintosh is a Scottish clan from Inverness with strong Jacobite ties. The Mackintoshes were also chiefs of the Chattan Confederation.-Origins:...
assembled an army to challenge Clan Cameron
Clan Cameron
Clan Cameron is a West Highland Scottish clan, with one main branch Lochiel, and numerous cadet branches. The Clan Cameron lands are in Lochaber and within their lands is the mountain Ben Nevis which is the highest mountain in the British Isles. The chief of the clan is customarily referred to as...
in a 360 year-old dispute over the lands around Loch Arkaig
Loch Arkaig
Loch Arkaig is a body of water in Lochaber, Scotland, to the west of the Great Glen. It is approximately 12 miles in length and lies 140 feet above sea level, the maximum depth is some 300 feet....
. After a week of stalemate, the long-running feud was ended by a deal in which the Camerons bought the land from the Mackintoshes.
14th century
The Camerons and Mackintoshes had disputed the ownership of lands around Loch Arkaig and in Glen Loy to the south since the beginning of the 14th century. According to Mackintosh tradition, before 1291 the land had belonged to Dougal Dall MacGilleCattan, chief of the ancient Clan Chattan. In that year, his daughter Eva married Angus Mackintosh, 6th chief of Clan MackintoshClan MacKintosh
Clan Mackintosh is a Scottish clan from Inverness with strong Jacobite ties. The Mackintoshes were also chiefs of the Chattan Confederation.-Origins:...
, uniting the two clans in the Chattan Confederation. Angus and Eva lived in Glen Loy for a few years before Angus had to flee from the Lord of Islay
Lord of Islay
The Lord of Islay was a 13th and 14th century titles used by the chief of Clan Donald of Islay before they rose to assume the title "Lord of the Isles". The first person known to style themselves "Lord of Islay" was Aonghas Mór, son of Domhnall the progenitor of the MacDonalds.-List of lords of...
, into exile in Badenoch
Badenoch
Badenoch is a traditional district which today forms part of Badenoch and Strathspey, an area of Highland Council, in Scotland, bounded on the north by the Monadhliath Mountains, on the east by the Cairngorms and Braemar, on the south by Atholl and the Grampians, and on the west by Lochaber...
. The Camerons then occupied the lands, provoking about 360 years of feuding over the area. The clans fought their first battle, the Battle of Drumlui
Battle of Drumlui
The Battle of Drumlui was a Scottish clan battle that took place in either 1330 or 1337, in the Scottish Highlands between the Clan Cameron and the Clan Mackintosh....
, in either 1330 or 1337. William Mackintosh, the son of Angus and Eva, had his right to the lands confirmed by charters from John of Islay, Lord of the Isles
John of Islay, Lord of the Isles
John of Islay was the Lord of the Isles and chief of Clan Donald. In 1336, he styled himself Dominus Insularum, "Lord of the Isles"; because this is the first ever recorded instance of the title in use, modern historians count John as the first of the later medieval Lords of the Isles, although...
in 1337 and from King David II
David II of Scotland
David II was King of Scots from 7 June 1329 until his death.-Early life:...
in February 1359. These charters and the marriage formed the basis of the Mackintosh claim on the lands, even though they were occupied by the Camerons for many years.
1660s
Lachlan Mackintosh of Torcastle became chief of Clan Mackintosh in 1660, and immediately pursued his clan's ancient claim to the land. In 1661 he obtained a decree from Parliament assigning the lands to him, whilst Ewen Cameron of LochielEwen Cameron of Lochiel
Sir Ewen Cameron of Lochiel was a Scottish highland chieftain, the 17th Chief of Clan Cameron.Macaulay called Ewen the "Ulysses of the Highlands". He was a man of enormous strength and size...
was at Court pushing his claims to Ardnamurchan
Ardnamurchan
Ardnamurchan is a peninsula in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland, noted for being very unspoilt and undisturbed. Its remoteness is accentuated by the main access route being a single track road for much of its length.-Geography:...
and the area around Loch Sunnart on the West Coast. In a letter dated 7 June 1661 the Lord Chancellor of Scotland, Lord Glencairn, wrote from London to the "Lord President and Lords of Session" in Edinburgh telling them to freeze Mackintosh's action until they heard again from the King
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
, as he had a scheme to resolve the problem and reward Cameron for his loyalty (Glencairn and Cameron had played large parts in the Royalist rising of 1651 to 1654). No more was heard from the Court, so in July 1662 Mackintosh obtained a Decree of Removal against the Camerons in the area. Cameron sought an audience with the King, pointing out that the Camerons would not leave their ancient lands peacably. The King was unwilling to interfere directly in the affairs of Parliament, so a letter was written on his behalf to the Earl of Middleton
John Middleton, 1st Earl of Middleton
John Middleton, 1st Earl of Middleton was a Scottish army officer, who belonged to a Kincardineshire family which had held lands at Middleton since the 12th century....
, another veteran of the uprising and now Lord High Commissioner
Lord High Commissioner
Lord High Commissioner is the style of High Commissioners, i.e. direct representatives of the monarch, in three cases in the Kingdom of Scotland and the United Kingdom, two of which are no longer extant...
to the Scottish parliament. This letter, dated 30 May 1662, urged Middleton to find a peaceful resolution. Meanwhile a warrant had been issued for Cameron's arrest, but he persuaded the Privy Council
Privy Council of Scotland
The Privy Council of Scotland was a body that advised the King.In the range of its functions the council was often more important than the Estates in the running the country. Its registers include a wide range of material on the political, administrative, economic and social affairs of Scotland...
to defer it for a few weeks, allowing him to return home to Lochaber
Lochaber
District of Lochaber 1975 to 1996Highland council area shown as one of the council areas of ScotlandLochaber is one of the 16 ward management areas of the Highland Council of Scotland and one of eight former local government districts of the two-tier Highland region...
.
Later that summer Mackintosh petitioned for a Commission of fire and sword against Cameron, unsuccessfully at first but in 1663 he had the whole of Clan Cameron declared outlaws. The commission against Cameron authorised various noblemen to implement it, but when approached by Mackintosh, they all told him to accept the financial compensation that had already been offered to him by Cameron. So Mackintosh decided to take matters into his own hands and having failed to induce his neighbours to join him, resorted to bribery to get them on his side. Meanwhile in January 1665, the Duke of Rothes
John Leslie, 1st Duke of Rothes
John Leslie , son of John Leslie, 6th Earl of Rothes, was the 7th Earl of Rothes and 1st Duke of Rothes. He was a descendant of Princess Beatrix, sister of King Malcolm III of Scotland...
, Lord Chancellor of Scotland
Lord Chancellor of Scotland
The Lord Chancellor of Scotland was a Great Officer of State in pre-Union Scotland.Holders of the office are known from 1123 onwards, but its duties were occasionally performed by an official of lower status with the title of Keeper of the Great Seal...
, ordered the Commission of Fire and Sword into abeyance until the Privy Council had decided what to do.
Both Cameron and Mackintosh appeared before the Privy Council and agreed to be bound by its decision. Initially the Council told them to agree a sum of compensation between themselves, but when this proved impossible, the Council ordered Cameron to pay Mackintosh 72,000 merks (about £3600 in English money of the time). Mackintosh tried to leave Edinburgh in secret, but was arrested and bound to keep the peace. However as soon as he got home, he called on the Chattan Confederation to launch an expedition into Lochaber. Some of his friends tried to dissuade him, but Mackintosh ignored them and led 1500 men to the south end of Loch Lochy. Cameron assembled a force from his own clan joined by MacGregor men, a clan that had served Glencairn in 1653-4, and a small party of MacIans of Glencoe
Clan MacDonald of Glencoe
The MacDonalds of Glencoe also known as Clann Iain Abrach are a branch of Clan Donald.-History:The founder of the MacDonalds of Glencoe was Iain Fraoch MacDonald The MacDonalds of Glencoe also known as Clann Iain Abrach are a branch of Clan Donald.-History:The founder of the MacDonalds of Glencoe...
. They numbered 300 bowmen, plus 900 men armed with guns, broadswords and targe
Targe
Targe was a general word for shield in late Old English. Its diminutive, target, came to mean an object to be aimed at in the 18th century....
shields. They then marched for Cameron's home at Achnacarry
Achnacarry
Achnacarry is a small hamlet, private estate, and a castle in the Lochaber region of Highland, Scotland. It occupies a strategic position on an isthmus between Loch Lochy to the east, and Loch Arkaig to the west....
, which is in a strategic position on the south bank of the River Arkaig, on the isthmus
Isthmus
An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas usually with waterforms on either side.Canals are often built through isthmuses where they may be particularly advantageous to create a shortcut for marine transportation...
between Loch Arkaig
Loch Arkaig
Loch Arkaig is a body of water in Lochaber, Scotland, to the west of the Great Glen. It is approximately 12 miles in length and lies 140 feet above sea level, the maximum depth is some 300 feet....
and Loch Lochy
Loch Lochy
Loch Lochy is a large freshwater loch in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland. With a mean depth of , it is the third deepest loch of Scotland.-Geography:...
.
Stand-off
On 16 September 1665, Mackintosh marched through the wood of Glastermore to Clunes before taking up position in what is now known as Caig Parks north of the River Arkaig. Cameron's men withdrew across the river to Achnacarry, securing the only ford on the river. For two days the armies faced each other across the river. Having no boats, Mackintosh started to move his force up the side of Loch Arkaig, getting as far as Achnasaul. Cameron entrenched 50 men at the ford, and then moved the rest of his force west to face Mackintosh across the loch.Meanwhile, the Earl of Argyll
Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll
Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll was a Scottish peer.He was born in 1629 in Dalkeith, Scotland, the son of Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll....
had sent 300 Campbells under John Campbell
John Campbell, 1st Earl of Breadalbane and Holland
John Campbell, 1st Earl of Breadalbane and Holland , son of Sir John Campbell of Glen Orchy, and of the Lady Mary Graham, daughter of William Graham, 1st Earl of Airth and 7th Earl of Menteith, was a member of Scottish nobility during the Glorious Revolution and Jacobite risings and also known as...
of Glen Orchy
Glen Orchy
Glen Orchy is a long glen in Argyll and Bute in Scotland. It runs south-westerly from the Bridge of Orchy to Inverlochy following the River Orchy...
, later Earl of Breadalbane, with orders to end the dispute with force if necessary. He started negotiations with Mackintosh, who retreated east a little, setting camp opposite the island of Eilean Loch Airceig, but no agreement was found that day. On the 19th, a settlement was agreed by friends of the two parties, but Mackintosh refused to accept the terms, even when his men refused to fight for him. Mackintosh and his army marched back to Clunes. On the morning of the third day, he agreed to a deal in which he sold the land to the Camerons for 72,500 merks, and his friends paid the extra money he wanted themselves.
Meanwhile Campbell had encountered a party of men under Cameron of Erracht, whom Cameron had sent across the loch by boat the night before. Cameron had started on a 18 miles (29 km) march with the rest of his men to the western end of Loch Arkaig and back down the north bank, to surprise the Mackintosh army from the west. En route Cameron met Campbell, who told him of Mackintosh's agreement. Cameron wanted to continue his march until Campbell threatened to join his men with the Mackintosh army and set all the forces of the Earl of Argyll against the Camerons.
Aftermath
On the 20 September 1665, Cameron crossed the river to meet with his former enemy at the House of Clunes and to sign a contract for the sale of Loch Arkaig and Glen Loy, with Cameron and six friends paying in three instalments over two years. Along with 24 of their leading clansmen, the two chiefs saluted each other, drank together, and exchanged swords to mark the end of the feud. That afternoon Mackintosh marched in good order north from Clunes to LagganLaggan, Great Glen
Laggan is a village in the Great Glen, in the Highland region of Scotland.-Geography:It is on the main A82 road alongside the Caledonian Canal between Loch Lochy and Loch Oich. It gives its name to the Laggan locks and the Laggan swing bridge where the road crosses the canal....
.
Tradition had it that in more than three centuries, "a Mackintosh and a Cameron had never even spoken together", which of course ignored alliances such as that at the Battle of Inverlochy (1431)
Battle of Inverlochy (1431)
The Battle of Inverlochy was fought after Alexander of Islay , Lord of the Isles and Earl of Ross, had been imprisoned by King James I...
. The Camerons considered it something of a Pyrrhic victory
Pyrrhic victory
A Pyrrhic victory is a victory with such a devastating cost to the victor that it carries the implication that another such victory will ultimately cause defeat.-Origin:...
, as the pursuit of their claim to Arkaig and Glen Loy over the years had cost them lands worth four times as much. Cameron had problems raising the money, and was offered a loan by the Earl of Atholl
John Murray, 1st Marquess of Atholl
John Murray, 1st Marquess of Atholl, KT was a leading Scottish royalist and defender of the Stuarts during the English Civil War of the 1640s, until after the rise to power of William and Mary in 1689...
in an attempt to curb the power of Argyll, but Argyll offered a similar loan at lower interest. However there were strings attached, Cameron had to pay £100 Scots in feu-duty and to acknowledge Argyll as superior of the lands. The Camerons were still paying rent to Argyll's factor in 1749.
See also
- Achnacarry CastleAchnacarry CastleAchnacarry Castle is the ancestral home of the chiefs of Clan Cameron, located at Achnacarry, about northeast of Fort William, Scotland. The original castle was built around 1655 and destroyed after the Battle of Culloden in 1746; a new house in Scottish baronial style was built nearby in...
- the Cameron home, built ten years before the Stand-off - Battle of DrumluiBattle of DrumluiThe Battle of Drumlui was a Scottish clan battle that took place in either 1330 or 1337, in the Scottish Highlands between the Clan Cameron and the Clan Mackintosh....
- the first battle between the clans